Balerno to Bellshill

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

Been back on a bike for a month or so now and have reason to go to Bellshill and probably the time to bike it from the western edge of Edinburgh.

My Spokes map suggests SUSTRANS Route 75. Looks like about 30-somethings miles so say three or four hours.

Now, what would you say are the chances of me not getting lost along the way? Is it well signposted or should I have the OS maps (or another SPOKES offering?) for the route in my rucksack? Am I perhaps underestimating it a bit? Any warnings or useful info to share?

 

[HJ]

I haven't cycled the whole way, but the parts I have cycled are generally well signed, that said it is probably a good idea to take an OS map in case you vier off the route...

As for timings you should be able to cover 30 miles in three hours with out difficulty

 

[top-tube]

Balerno to Bathgate section is a bit of a pig. Very indirect route up through Kirknewton, and very circuitous, and not well signposted through Livingston. It took me about 3 hours from Edinburgh to Bathgate on this route.

I did Edinburgh to Glasgow last year, and found it best to pick up cyclepath from Gogar, by the A8, then onto A89 all the way to Bathgate. I now commute this route 1/2 days a week from Leith to Bathgate. There is one small section which is on the road (from Bangour to Deans/Boghall), and although its not the most scenic, it is easy going, and it is direct.

Current problem with NCN 75 though is Bathgate - Airdrie rail works, which I think have closed the cycle path from Bathgate westwards until the rail work is done. A pity because this was very scenic over the moors, and showed a different side of 'Wild West' Lothian to me. I'm pretty sure though in the absence of the path, you can pick up quiet roads through West Lothian, as used on Pedal for Scotland route from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Need to go through likes of Avonbridge, Limerigg, Caldercruix, Plains. Then all gets a bit urban from Airdrie.

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

> As for timings you should be able to cover 30 miles in three hours with out difficulty

Aye, I suppose so but I'm allowing for sandwich stops and those inevitable where-the-hell-am-I moments.

I'm a bit distressed to hear tales of Edinburgh to Bathgate taking three hours, top-tube. I'll look into that A89 route you mentioned. A completely closed path after that is even worse though! Surely a national cycle route must have a diversion of some sort in place?

I'd rather take the bike for a spin then drive to bloody Bellshill than spend all day on the road I think.

(Email sustrans and scotways to see if they've got any info.)

 

[soulful dog]

There's some details of the Airdrie to Bathgate closure on the sustrans website here including a link to a pdf file with suggested alternative routes.

This is one of the routes I'm aiming to do at one point, however, I regularly use part of the cycle path between Glasgow Green and Cambuslang, and the one time I tried to follow it further I had to get off my bike and walk through a 100 yard stretch of mud (next to where they were building a new school I think) and then I lost the route at Uddingston and spent half an hour going round in circles before heading back home...

I am now armed with the sustrans map of the route, but I've yet to try it again as after looking at it, I can't see where I got lost so don't hold out much hope of doing any better next time!

 

[marooncat]

GRRRR I am not a happy bunny

I was going to use R75 from near Livingston tomorrow, I have to be somewhere that is just off the cycle path and I was thinking it would be a nice wee ride to get there. As someone has said some of the route is really nice through open countryside (mind you with this wind it might not be so nice )

I can still cycle on the road but I was looking forward to doing that route and from looking at the map on the sustains website most of where I was wanting to go is shut.

I suppose at least I know now not tomorrow when I mean the "route closed" signs.

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

I was thinking it'd be a nice way to get there as well but, having just had a nose at that sustrans pdf and an OS map, I can see that it perhaps isn't at the moment.

 

[GordyFaeEdinburgh]

More info from an email (thanks to West Lothian Council):

"The priority when we were considering diverting the cycle path whilst sections were closed was public safety. Having looked closely at the alternatives with SUSTRANS we reached the conclusion that it would not have been safe to promote the proposed diversions as an alternative to the existing cycle path. The diversions would have included substantial on road diversions mainly along the A89. Due to the speed and type of vehicles we could not promote this as an alternative to the NCN75 which is traffic free and suitable for a range of cycling abilities. Keeping the public up to date with which sections were opened, which were diverted and where the diversions where was something that SUSTRANS felt would present a particular challenge"

Translation: take your car, pesky cyclist!

 

[marooncat]

That is a typical WLC response, lots of words meaning nothing and without giving a proper answer to your question

 

[coopman]

I have done the Ed-Gla route a couple of times, and without the sustrans map I would of been buggered. Esp in livingston where new school was being built and in coatbridge a new housing estate got me a bit lost as well.
Hovever, they have decided to re open the railway and that bit of the route is well and truly shut as per previousious posters comments, shame really, it was a cracking run and made a great cycle on a nice day.
I believe it will get re-opened eventually when railway is built but its not going to be the same, what was a great flowing section will now be dis-jointed